DOBLE GRADO EN EDUCACIÓN INFANTIL Y EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA CURSO 2018/2019
TRABAJO DE FIN DE GRADO
PROGRAMACIÓN GENERAL ANUAL DE APRENDIZAJE INTEGRADO DE CONTENIDO Y LENGUA (AICLE)
ÁREA CIENCIAS DE LA NATURALEZA
4º EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA
PATRICIA BEATRIZ GÓMEZ HERREROS DIRECTORA: MAGDALENA CUSTODIO ESPINAR
PROGRAMACIÓN GENERAL ANUAL ÁREA CIENCIAS DE LA NATURALEZA
En este Trabajo de Fin de Grado, se plantea una Programación General de Aula en el área de Ciencias de la Naturaleza. Esta programación está orientada al curso de 4º de Educación Primaria. La base de esta propuesta es el enfoque AICLE (Aprendizaje Integrado de Contenido y Lengua). Este trabajo está basado en el PEC (Proyecto Educativo de Centro) de un centro escolar real de la Comunidad de Madrid, siguiendo sus valores, normas y directrices para una educación de calidad.
El trabajo está formado por un marco teórico, en el cual se explican todas las teorías en las que están basadas las unidades didácticas. Para la redacción de este marco teórico se ha investigado y leído numerosos artículos sobre el tema. AICLE, apuesta por un aprendizaje del contenido y del lenguaje de una forma natural, experimental y manipulativa. En esta parte, también están explicados los contenidos, objetivos y criterios de evaluación utilizados, al igual que la tipología de actividades y la colaboración con las familias. En la segunda parte del trabajo, se desarrollan nueve unidades didácticas para el curso elegido. De esas nueva unidades, cuatro de ellas están desarrolladas con actividades y recursos para alcanzar los contenidos mínimos que los alumnos deben adquirir al final del curso escolar.
Palabras Clave
Ciencias de la Naturaleza, 4º de Primaria, AICLE, Programación General de Aula, Educación Bilingüe.
In this Final Degree Project, an Annual Syllabus is proposed in the area of Natural Sciences. This programme is oriented to year 4 of Primary Education. The basis of this proposal is based on Content and Language Integrated Learning approach (CLIL) This work is based on the PEC (Proyecto Educativo de Centro) of a real school in the Community of Madrid, following its values, norms and guidelines for quality education.
The work consists of a theoretical framework, in which all the theories on which the didactic units are based, are explained. For the writing of this theoretical framework, numerous articles on the subject have been researched and read. CLIL is committed to learning content and language in a natural, experimental and manipulative way. In this part, the contents, objectives and evaluation criteria used are also explained, as well as the typology of activities and collaboration with families. In the second part of the work, nine didactic units are developed for the chosen course. Of these new units, four of them are developed with activities and resources to reach the minimum contents that students must acquire at the end of the school year.
Key Words
Natural Sciences, 4 Primary, CLIL, General Classroom Programming, Bilingual Education, Content and Language.
1. GENERAL PRESENTATION 1
2. ANNUAL SYLLABUS 3
2.1 Introduction 3
2.1.1 Theoretical Justification. 3
2.1.2. Socio-cultural context 6
2.1.3. Teaching staff context 8
2.1.4. Psychoevolutive characteristics of the target students 9
2.2. Objetives 11
2.2.1. Principal Objectives 11
2.2.2. Competency-based Learning Approach 13
2.2.3. Objetivos de área y objetivos en el curso 14
2.3. Contenidos 17
2.3.1. Secuenciación de contenidos del currículo oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid 17
2.3.2. Secuenciación en Unidades Didácticas 17
2.4. CLIL Approach 20
2.4.1. Methodological Principles 20
2.4.2. The 4 Cs 23
2.4.3. Learner-centered autonomous learning 25
2.4.4. Scaffolding 27
2.4.5. Teacher’s role and student’s role 28
2.5. Activities and Resources 30
2.5.1. Activity-type 30
2.5.2. Human, Material and ICT resources 32
2.5.3. Space and time resources 33
2.5.4. Classroom organization and management 34
2.6. Assessment and Evaluation Strategies 35
2.6.1. Formative assessment 37
2.6.2. Summative assessment 39
2.7. Attention to Diversity Through CLIL 40
2.7.1. Cognitive demand analysis: HOTS & LOTS 41
2.7.2. Ordinary measures to attend diversity 43
2.7.3. Extraordinary measures 46
2.8. Tutorial Action Plan and Collaboration with Families 46
2.9 Complementary and Extra-curricular Activities 48
2.9.1 Out-of-class activities 48
3.1. First Term. Living Things and Plants 51
3.1.1. UNIT 1. Vertebrate Animals 51
3.1.2. UNIT 2. Invertebrate animals 56
3.1.3 UNIT 3. Plant Kingdom 61
3.2. Second Term. My Body 66
3.2.1. UNIT 4. Circulatory and Respiratory System 66
3.2.2. UNIT 5. Reproductive System 83
3.2.3. UNIT 6. Healthy Lifestyle 88
3.3. Third Term. Matter, Energy and Machines 103
3.3.1. UNIT 7. Matter 103
3.3.2. UNIT 8. Forces 121
3.3.2. UNIT 9. Simple and Complex Machines 126
4. CONCLUSIONS 143
5. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 146
6. APPENDICES 152
6.1. Appendix 1: Contenidos Curriculares 152
6.2. Appendix 2: Secuenciación de las Unidades Didácticas 156
6.3. Appendix 3: Autorización del Colegio Valdefuentes 158
6.4. Appendix 4: Didactic Unit Resources 159
6.4.1. Resources Didactic Unit 4 159
6.4.2. Resources Didactic Unit 6 167
6.4.3. Resources Didactic Unit 7 181
1.
GENERAL PRESENTATION
This End-of-Degree Project proposal is an annual syllabus intended to teach Natural Sciences in Year 4 of Primary Education. This document consists of two different but united parts. The first part is the theoretical and legislative framework on which all the work is based on. It covers the procedures, methodologies, skills and projects where the didactic units are framed, on the basis of Royal Decree 126/2014, of 28 February, which establishes the basic curriculum of Primary Education: the contents, learning standards and assessment criteria. The second part, include nine didactic units, gathering all the contents and objectives established for the chosen stage.
These didactic units are formulated for the 2019-2020 school year from September to June. The methodology developed throughout the units is based on CLIL (Content and Language Integrating Learning), known in Spanish as AICLE (Aprendizaje Integrado de Contenido y Lenguaje). This approach promotes content learning and language acquisition at the same time. In this way, the student understands the curricular contents, making use of the language necessary to learn them.
In this teaching and learning context the role of the teacher will be to guide and support, leaving the role of leader to the student. In this way, it is the student who will discover and learn according to their own learning rhythm and interest. Moreover, as this is the area of Natural Sciences, experimentation and manipulative activities will prevail, incorporating an experimental activity carried out by the students in each unit.
When I was offered the opportunity to do an End-of-Degree Project on CLIL, at first, I thought it was a big challenge. It was not going to be easy at all, mostly because it is in another language. In spite of that, I decided to choose it because it seemed like a good way to finish this university stage. For me it has been completely a research work. I have had to look for a lot of information from psychologists, pedagogues, educators, etc. people who, like me, have chosen to go deeper into this subject. I have also had to learn a lot about other teaching techniques and bilingualism in Europe and Spain. Moreover, I have looked for information about the different evaluation techniques and how to attend
to all the students with special needs, because attention to diversity is one of the main challenges in CLIL.
2.
ANNUAL SYLLABUS
2.1 Introduction
In this section, I have summarized the theories behind this learning approach. It also includes a detailed description of the school in which the project will be implemented. An analysis of the psychoevolutive characteristics of the students at this age is also included.
2.1.1 Theoretical Justification.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) is a dual-focused educational approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of content and language with the objective of promoting both content and language mastery to pre-defined levels (Marsh, Mehisto, Wolff, and Frigols, 2010). This approach is meanly used to learn content and a second language at the same time. However, curricular content leads language learning. Since 1990 CLIL has emerged as an example of inter- disciplinary educational convergence (Wolff, 2012) that requires multi-faceted research approaches (Coyle, 2007; Dalton-Puffer and Smit, 2007; Lyster, 2007; Mehisto, 2011; Bonnet, 2012).
In the last decade, the dual focus on achieving simultaneous content and language learning outcomes has been influenced by multi-disciplinary educational research and dialogue (Mehisto, 2012). This has resulted in the triple focus concept, whereby content and language goals are pursued with understanding of student cognition, usually referred to as thinking skills (Coyle et al., 2010). This triple focus is within the remit of researchers in the fields of language awareness (Svalberg, 2007; Yassin et al., 2010; Llurda, 2010) and the educational neurosciences (Fischer et al., 2007; Adescope et al., 2010; Ansari et al., 2011; Campbell, 2011). One of the key issues relates to being able to differentiate learning within the curriculum through understanding of the thinking skills, content, and language required to achieve successful learning.
comprehensive dimension of learning. With this approach, we give students a diversity of learning strategies and techniques on innovative teaching methods and learner motivation (Lofft Basse, 2016). Students cannot develop academic knowledge and skills without access to the language in which that knowledge is embedded, discussed, constructed, or evaluated. Nor can they acquire academic language skills in a context devoid of academic content. (Ioannou-Georgiou & Pavlou, 2011).
But the development of CLIL is part of a wider European policy developed in the first decade of the 21st century. The European Commission implemented an Action Plan called
‘Promoting language learning and linguistic diversity’ to provide a key to understand the different cultures we have in our country through the multilingualism. Thanks to multilingualism, citizens who speak more languages can reap the full benefits of free movement in the European Union and can integrate more easily in another country to study or work. This Action Plan puts forwards 47 concrete proposal with the same aim: 1. Lifelong language learning,
2. Better language learning,
3. Building a language-friendly environment.
Multilingualism at European level is the acknowledgement that languages matter to citizens and that there is a need to take action at the highest political level to bring together resources to promote multilingualism (Commission of the European Communities, 2003).
Although countries did not start from the same baseline, nor have they taken action at the same speed. Reforms have focused mainly on the same areas:
Review of the whole educational system in the light of a lifelong language learning approach.
- Introduction of early language learning in primary and sometimes in pre-primary education.
- Introduction of some CLIL (content and language integrated learning) in curricula.
- Increased offer of languages at secondary level. - Increased investment in language teacher training.
- Review of curricula, examinations and certificates to align them to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- The use of European programmes and tools developed by the Commission and by the Council of Europe to review national education systems, develop suitable language materials and tests, and to promote language teacher training abroad and European cooperation in schools.
But it was at the Conference on CLIL in 2005, during Luxembourg’s presidency, where for the first time CLIL was brought to the attention of European policy makers. As an effective way of strengthening communication skills and motivating students. It was recalled the need to ensure that pupils and students receive CLIL provision at different levels of school education. It was also emphasised that teachers should receive special training in CLIL. In 2006, the Eurydice network published a survey about CLIL in schools in Europe (Eurydice, 2006) setting out the main features of CLIL teaching in European Countries. The survey showed that if CLIL provision is to be generalised, it has to be supported in most countries by a significant effort in teacher training. Spain is one of many countries, including Belgium, Italy or Poland, that offered CLIL provision at primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education.
Figure 1: Levels of education at which CLIL is offered in mainstream provision (2004/2005), Source: Eurydice.
Madrid Bilingual Programme, based on CLIL, was launched during the 2004/2005 school year. The body responsible for funding this programme is the Ministry of Education and the Community of Madrid. In this project, all subjects except mathematics and Spanish language are taught in a foreign language, mainly English, providing one-third of the all weekly teaching in the target language (Eurydice, 2004).
2.1.2. Socio-cultural context
This end of degree project is based on Valdefuentes School, which has allowed to use their name in and data for the project. See appendix 3 to see the authorization.
The Valdefuentes School in Madrid is a private bilingual religious institution. The educational offer ranges from pre-primary to bachillerato. It is in Sanchinarro area. The school is located on a plot of 14,000 m2 and has 10,000 m2 constructed. It has the following facilities:
- Educational: Multifunction conference room, library, science laboratory, physics and chemistry laboratory, technology workshop, music room, drawing room, chapel.
- Sports: Sports centre, heated swimming pool, judo room, ballet and dance room, psychomotor rooms, three football and basketball fields.
- ICT equipment: Internet connection by optical fibre, educational and administrative management platform, digital blackboards.
The aim of the centre is to provide students who come to its classrooms with an integral education that will be inspired by the fundamental principles of Christian doctrine, which is especially present in the activities carried out in the centre. They also seek to form intellectually and culturally capable, dignified and responsible citizens for the benefit of their own perfection and of the society to which they are to be useful.
In Valdefuentes School they believe that living together is not only achieved through the application of disciplinary measures, but also by educating in the values and behaviours that promote it. The objectives are:
1. Provide an integral education inspired by the principles of Christian doctrine that achieves the intellectual, spiritual and human development of our students. 2. To form capable, intellectually and culturally dignified and responsible citizens
for the benefit of their own development and society.
3. To develop a climate of coexistence based on participation, pluralism, tolerance, respect, dialogue, trust, understanding, individual attention, cooperation, critical thinking, responsibility and mutual acceptance.
The students studying in this school come from families in the area where they are located. They are characterized by a low level of immigration.
Valdelasfuenets School comes from an educational organization that includes different schools. The educational group was born as GECESA institution, founded in 1976, with the Colegio Parque which is located in the privileged environment of Parquelagos, in order to provide students who, come to their classrooms a comprehensive education inspired by the fundamental principles of the doctrine of the Catholic Church, this project has been developed in the last ten years in five other schools. At present GECESA has become EDUCARE, becoming one of the most important educational groups not only in the Community of Madrid, but also in Spain.
They promote a style of management, based on trust, with professionals who, far from hiding the problems, expose them to seek the best solutions. The schools that make up this educational group share the following educational bases:
1. Train intellectually and culturally capable, dignified and responsible people for the benefit of their own perfection and of the society to which they must be useful from now on. So that this benefit is not wasted, Educare considers it necessary and essential the contest of teachers, parents and students themselves.
2. Christian vision of life. That is why they always take as a point of reference, for the different branches of knowledge, the orientation of the Catholic Church. 3. Education is based on the uniqueness of each person, unique and unrepeatable; on
4. Students learn by seeking their integral development, contemplating intellectual, physical, moral and emotional aspects, in order to ensure their preparation to integrate adequately into society.
5. They want our students to be eager to improve, seeking excellence from their own personal perspective, with the desire to educate people who know how to put their skills at the service of others.
6. They form students who are generous with others, seeking to collaborate and participate in volunteer programs.
7. The involvement of parents is fundamental to achieving the objectives of Educare, of schools and, ultimately, of pupils.
8. Parents, as the ones primarily responsible for the education of their children, must participate and commit themselves to it, in addition, they must collaborate with Educare and the educators in whatever is required of them.
9. We understand that the responsibility for the education of the children corresponds to their parents, whom the school helps in their task of first educators. The educational activity of the schools is considered as a delegate and collaborator of the family action.
10.Attention to each family and each student, through individualized tutoring and family orientation, is an educational medium that characterizes EDUCARE schools, to which specific educational orientation talks are added.
2.1.3. Teaching staff context
The teachers are linked to the Educare project, live and believe in these values, and are committed to providing education following the philosophy that inspires them, as reflected in their RI. These professionals permanently improve their skills and actively participate in activities in accordance with the standards established by the ideology of EDUCARE and in specific training courses for the different needs that arise in the development of our educational work.
The general organization of the centres follows the same scheme:
Figure 2: General Organisation Scheme. Source: Author
Figure 3: Educational Coordinating Scheme. Source: Author
2.1.4. Psychoevolutive characteristics of the target students
Learners of any age differ from one another in significant ways. This syllabus is designed for Year 4 of Primary Education students, so the age of these children is between nine and ten years old.
ability to apply logical thoughts to concrete problems. These concrete experiences help children to understand new concepts and ideas. They use the language to exchange information, so they become more social and less egocentric. Besides, they become more empathic and give more importance to friends. Piaget (1963) points out that children are not simply miniature adults and they do not think like them because their minds are not the same.
Kieran Egan (1979, 1986, 1992) gives insights about educational development. He describes development giving meaning to how learners make sense of the world. As individuals develop, they add new layers of sophistication without leaving behind the characteristic qualities of earlier layers. As he puts it, “Each stage contributes something vital and necessary to the mature adult’s ability to make sense of the world and human experience” (1979, p. 86).
Our students would be on The Romantic Layer, which goes from ages 8 to 9 through 14 to 15. Upper elementary and middle school learners begin to separate the world around them from their internal world—they no longer assume that the world thinks and feels as they do. They are developing a sense of their own identity within this wider world. They often enjoy research on topics of their own choosing, and they are good at memorizing.
Intermediate-grade students are at a maximum of openness to people and situations different from their own experience. As developing the cognitive characteristics of the concrete operations level, they begin to understand cause and effect. They can begin a more systematic approach to language learning, but they continue to need concrete experiences as a starting point and to benefit from learning that is embedded in context. The phenomenon of “boy germs” and “girl germs” begins to develop during these years, and children may resist partner situations with children of the opposite sex. They continue to benefit from experiences with imagination and fantasy, emphasis on binary opposites, and strong emotional connection to what is learned, as well as story form with distinctive beginning, middle, and end. In addition, they will benefit from themes based on real-life heroes and heroines who display transcendent qualities in overcoming the challenges of life.
2.2. Objetives
2.2.1. Principal Objectives
The general principles at this stage, according to the Royal Decree 126/2014, of 28 February, by which the core curriculum of Primary Education is established, are as follows:
The aim of the Primary Education is to help students to learn the principles of oral expression and comprehension, reading, writing, calculation, the acquisition of basic notions of culture, and the habit of coexistence as well as study and work habits, the artistic sense, creativity and affectivity, in order to ensure an integral formation that contributes to the full development of the students' personality, and to prepare them effectively for Compulsory Secondary Education (RD/126/2014).
Primary Education is divided into six academic years, which will ordinarily be taught between six and twelve years old, and it is organized in areas, which will have a holistic and integrative approach.
According to the LOMCE:
a) Curriculum: regulation of the elements determining the teaching and learning process for each educational stage.
b) Objectives: references to the achievements that the student must attain at the end of the educational process, as a result of the teaching and learning experiences intentionally planned for this purpose.
c) Competences: abilities to apply the relevant contents of each educational stage in an integrated way, in order to achieve the correct realisation of the activities and the effective resolution of complex problems.
d) Contents: set of knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes which contribute to the achievement of the objectives for each educational stage and the acquisition of the relevant competences. The contents are organised into subjects, which are classified into areas, fields and modules, depending on the educational stage, or the programmes students take part in.
know how to do, in each area; these standards must be observable, measurable, and assessable and must allow the graduation of the students' achievements. The standards must be designed in order to contribute and facilitate the use of standardized and comparable tests.
f) Evaluation criteria: specific references used to assess the students' learning process. They describe whatever it is that must be valued and that students must achieve, both in terms of knowledge and in competences; they respond to what is aimed to achieve in each area.
g) Teaching methodology: set of strategies, procedures and actions planned and organized by the teachers, consciously and reflexively, in order to promote the students' learning process and their achievements.
In the Community of Madrid, the Decree89/2014 stablishes that primary education will contribute to the children’s skills development that will enable them to:
1. Understand and appreciate the values and standards of living, learn to act in accordance with them, prepare for active citizenship and respect for human rights and pluralism inherent in a democratic society.
2. Develop individual and teamwork, effort and responsibility in the study as well as attitudes of self-confidence, critical sense, personal initiative, curiosity, creativity and interest in learning, and entrepreneurship.
3. Acquire skills for the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflict, enabling them to function independently in the family and household, as well as in social groups with which they are associated.
4. Know, understand and respect different cultures and differences among people, equal rights and opportunities for men and women and non-discrimination of people with disabilities.
5. Know and use appropriately the Spanish language and develop reading habits. 6. Acquire, in at least one foreign language, skills to enable them to express and
understand simple messages and function in everyday situations.
7. Develop basic Maths skills and initiative in solving problems that require elementary operations of calculation, geometry and estimates, as well as being able to apply to situations in everyday life.
8. Know the main features of Natural Science, Social Science, Geography, History and Culture.
9. Start using, for learning, the information technology and communication to develop a critical mind to the messages they receive and produce.
10.Use representation and artistic expression and start to build visual and audio-visual proposal.
11.Rate hygiene and health, accept their body and that of others, respecting differences and using physical education and sport to encourage both personal and social development.
12.Know and appreciate those animals closest to us and adopt forms of behaviour that contribute to their preservation and care.
13.Develop emotional skills in all areas of personality and in their relationships with others and an attitude opposed to violence, prejudice of any kind and sexist stereotypes.
14.Promote road safety education and respectful attitudes that affect the prevention of accidents.
2.2.2. Competency-based Learning Approach
DeSeCo (Definition and Selection of Competencies) (2003) defines competence as the ability to respond to complex demands and carry out diverse tasks in an appropriate way. In line with the Recommendation 2006/962/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 18th December 2006, on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, the Royal Decree 126/2014, of 28th February, by which the core curriculum of Primary Education is established, is based on the empowerment of learning through competences, integrated into curricular elements to promote a renewal in educational practice and teaching and learning process. The competence supposes a combination of practical skills, knowledge, motivation, ethical values, attitudes, emotions, and other social and behavioural components that are mobilized jointly to achieve an effective action.
Competences in the academic environment give students the capacity to know in different contexts how to resolve any conflict they may have, whether in the school or out of it. Also, competences make the lessons more inclusive and allow to work with different subjects in the same topic.
Key competences are those which every person requires to his or her self-realization and personal fulfilment, as well as to active citizenship, social inclusion and employment. According to the Royal Decree 126/2014, of 28th February, the key competences are: 1. Competence in linguistic communication.
2. Competence in mathematics, science and technology. 3. Digital competence.
4. Learning to learn.
5. Social and civic competences.
6. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship. 7. Cultural awareness and expression.
2.2.3. Objetivos de área y objetivos en el curso
Los objetivos del área para este curso están formulados a partir de los criterios de evaluación, que se presentan en el Real Decreto 126/2014 para el curso 4º de Primaria en la asignatura de Ciencias de la Naturaleza.
Los criterios de evaluación son el referente específico para evaluar el aprendizaje del alumnado. Describen aquello que se quiere valorar y que el alumnado debe lograr, tanto en conocimientos como en competencias; responden a lo que se pretende conseguir en cada asignatura el referente específico para evaluar el aprendizaje del alumnado. (Art.2, RD 126/2014)
A partir de los contenidos del RD 126/2014, el Decreto 89/201 establece los siguientes objetivos y contenidos que se deben lograr al finalizar 4º de Educación Primaria en los alumnos como resultado de la intervención docente y pedagógica en esta área del currículo.
1. Buscar, seleccionar y organizar información concreta y relevante, analizar, obtener conclusiones, comunicar su experiencia, reflexionar acerca del proceso seguido y comunicarlo oralmente y por escrito.
2. Consultar y utilizar documentos escritos, imágenes y gráficos.
3. Desarrollar estrategias adecuadas para acceder a la información de textos de carácter científico.
4. Manifestar autonomía en la planificación y ejecución de acciones y tareas y tener iniciativa en la toma de decisiones.
5. Utilizar, de manera adecuada, el vocabulario correspondiente a cada uno de los bloques de contenidos.
6. Exponer oralmente de forma clara y ordenada contenidos relacionados con el área manifestando la compresión de textos orales y/o escritos
7. Usar de forma autónoma el tratamiento de textos (ajuste de página, inserción de ilustraciones o notas, etcétera).
8. Hacer un uso adecuado de las TIC como recurso de ocio.
9. Conocer y utilizar las medidas de protección y seguridad que debe utilizar en el uso de las TIC.
10.Realizar experiencias sencillas y pequeñas investigaciones: planteando problemas, enunciando hipótesis, seleccionando el material necesario, realizando, extrayendo conclusiones y comunicando los resultados.
11.Realizar un proyecto, trabajando de forma individual o en equipo, y presentar un informe, utilizando soporte papel y/o digital, recogiendo información de diferentes fuentes (directas, libros e Internet), con diferentes medios y comunicar de forma oral la experiencia realizada, apoyándose en imágenes y textos escritos. 12.Presentar trabajos de forma ordenada en soporte papel y digital de forma
individual y en equipo.
BLOQUE 2: EL SER HUMANO Y LA SALUD
13.Identificar las principales características del aparato circulatorio. 14.Explicar las funciones del corazón, las venas y las arterias. 15.Identificar las principales características del aparato respiratorio.
16.Explicar las funciones de los pulmones, los bronquios y la tráquea.
17.Identificar las principales características del aparato reproductor en el hombre y en la mujer.
18.Explicar de forma general la fecundación, el desarrollo embrionario y el parto. 19.Conocer algunas enfermedades que afectan a los aparatos y sistemas del
organismo humano estudiados.
20.Identificar y valorar hábitos saludables para prevenir dichas enfermedades. 21.Reconocer los efectos nocivos del consumo de alcohol y drogas.
BLOQUE 3: LOS SERES VIVOS
22.Explicar la alimentación, respiración y reproducción en mamíferos, aves, reptiles, anfibios y peces.
23.Identificar, observar y explicar las características de los diferentes grupos de animales invertebrados.
24.Explicar la nutrición y reproducción de las plantas.
25.Explicar la fotosíntesis y su importancia para la vida en la Tierra
BLOQUE 4: MATERIA Y ENERGÍA. LA TECNOLOGÍA, OBJETOS Y MÁQUINAS
26.Observar, identificar, describir y clasificar algunos materiales por sus propiedades (dureza, solubilidad, estado de agregación y conductividad térmica).
27.Utilizar diferentes procedimientos para la medida del peso de un cuerpo.
28.Identificar y explicar las principales características de la flotabilidad en un medio líquido.
29.Realizar experiencias sencillas que permitan predecir cambios en el movimiento, en la forma o en el estado de los cuerpos por efecto de las fuerzas.
30.Observar y explorar la utilidad de la palanca, polea y plano inclinado. 31.Identificar algunos inventos de Arquímedes.
2.3. Contenidos
2.3.1. Secuenciación de contenidos del currículo oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid
Según el Real Decreto 126/2014, los contenidos propios del área de Ciencias de la Naturaleza de la etapa de cuarto de Educación Primaria se encuentran clasificados en conceptos, procedimientos y actitudes que ayudan a los alumnos a interpretar la realidad y saber abordar y proponer soluciones a los diferentes problemas de la misma. A su vez está dividida en cinco bloques principales: Iniciación a la actividad científica, Los seres vivos, El ser humano y la salud, La materia y la energía y La tecnología, los objetos y las máquinas. “Su tratamiento debe permitir que los alumnos y alumnas avancen en la adquisición de las ideas del conocimiento científico, en su organización y estructuración, como un todo articulado y coherente” (Anexo I, RD 126/2014).
Los contenidos son “un conjunto de conocimientos, habilidades, destrezas y actitudes que contribuyen al logro de los objetivos de cada enseñanza y etapa educativa” (Art.2, RD 126/2014). Pero son los contenidos curriculares establecidos por la Comunidad de Madrid en el Decreto 89/2014, los que son obligatorios para el diseño de las unidades didácticas que comprende esta programación anual. Estos contenidos se muestran en el Appendix 1 de la mencionada norma en sus diferentes bloques de conocimiento, divididos en conceptos, procedimientos y actitudes.
2.3.2. Secuenciación en Unidades Didácticas
Nine units will be organised in three different groups: Animal and Plant kingdom, Body systems and Energy and machines. Each group will have three units. See Appendix 2.
I. ANIMAL AND PLANT KINGDOM
o Characteristics of vertebrate animals.
o Nutrition of vertebrate animals
o Reproduction of vertebrate animals.
o Mammals.
o Birds.
o Reptiles.
o Amphibians.
o Fish.
UNIT 2: INVERTEBRATES
Topics
o Characteristics and classification invertebrate animals.
o Sponges, cnidarians and worms.
o Molluscs.
o Echinoderms.
o Insects, arachnids and crustaceans.
UNIT 3: PLANTS
Topics
o Characteristics and parts of the plant.
o Plants organs.
o Plant nutrition: photosynthesis.
o Sexual and asexual reproduction.
o Pollination and Germination.
II. BODY SYSTEMS AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
UNIT 4: CIRCULATORY AND RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
o Respiratory system: parts and organs.
o Circulatory system: parts and organs.
o Blood circulation.
o The heart.
o Physiology and functioning of the respiratory system.
UNIT 5: REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
Topics
o Reproduction. Male and female reproductive organs.
o Pregnancy and embryonic development.
o Birth.
o Types of families.
UNIT 6: HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Topics
o Illnesses that affect the respiratory and circulatory system.
o Healthy habits.
o Alcohol and drugs.
III. ENERGY AND MACHINES
UNIT 7: MATTER
Topics
o The properties of the matters.
o Mass, volume and density.
o Properties of materials.
o State of materials: solid, liquid and gas.
UNIT 8: FORCES
Topics
o The effects and classification of forces.
o Gravity and speed.
o Newton inventions.
UNIT 9: SIMPLE AND COMPLEX MACHINES
Topics
o Pulley, inclined plane and levers.
o Archimedes simple machines.
2.4. CLIL Approach
In order to understand this project, it is necessary to make an introduction to the different methodologies in which CLIL is based. Marsh (1994) defined CLIL as “…situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focussed aims, namely the learning of content, and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language” (p. 23). However, many different authors have created the basis for this approach. Coyle et al. (2010) formulated the 4Cs: content, culture, communication and cognition. Bruner, (1978) talks about scaffolding and its importance in student learning and how to achieve greater autonomy for students. Cummins (1979, 2001) contributed with the distinction between BICS (basic interpersonal communication skills) and CALP (cognitive academic language proficiency). Finally, the theories developed by Vygotsky (1978) point out the relation between cognitive and language development and the importance of the role of the teacher as a guide to the student, leaving him to be the leader of his learning.
2.4.1. Methodological Principles
Mehisto, Marsh and Frigols (2008) talk about the core features of CLIL methodology which must be a reference for an annual CLIL syllabus:
1. A multiple focus which supports language learning in content classes and content learning in language classes. This focus integrates several subjects at the same time that organise learning through cross-curricular themes and projects.
2. A context of rich and safe learning, based on routines of tasks and discourses that make language visible during learning, so that students feel secure and desire to interact and experiment with the language and content.
3. The authenticity of learning through the connection of the tasks with the interests of the students and their real and individual needs.
4. Active learning, understood as the learning in which the students have a sufficient time to talk and interact with the teacher, with other students, with himself or with learning resources; where you can help define the standards for learning content, language and learning process. A learning in which the role of the teacher is to facilitate all these processes described.
5. Scaffolding is necessary to address the diversity of students, their interests, learning styles and prior knowledge. A scaffolding that contemplates the reformulation of the language to make it affordable. In addition, it promotes creativity and critical thinking and allows students to learn through cognitive and language challenges that start from their own levels of competence.
6. Cooperation, between the CLIL teachers and those who teach the contents in LI, between parents and teachers and, in general, among all the members of the educational community, including the authorities and the employers of the future citizens who learn in this context.
Based on these characteristics, Custodio Espinar (2019) has elaborated a list of the methodological principles that are considered essential for a quality CLIL syllabus. These principles favour a series of strategies to encourage interaction in the classroom as a guarantee of linguistic development and content learning.
1. The syllabus model must include the four core elements defined by Coyle (1999): content, cognition, communication and culture. This will allow the teacher to generate the strategies, activities, resources, etc. necessary for an effective content learning and the balanced development of language, learning strategies and intercultural competence of students.
2. Language must be approached from two different areas: content and cognitive processes, on the one hand, and the interaction and communicative use of language
Communication Skills, BICS) (Cummins, 1999), on the other hand. In CLIL the language is used to learn and communicate at the same time.
3. The content determines the linguistic demands that the teacher must analyse to support student’s language development. The teaching of language in this context must respect the balanced development of the four basic skills of the language (listening, reading, speaking and writing). The CEFR is a fundamental tool for determining levels of proficiency and developing language assessment strategies adapted to them (Council of Europe, 2001).
4. The analysis of linguistic demands must guarantee the development of strategies to support interaction, adapted to student’s language proficiency (Coyle, 1999, 2007, Coyle et al., 2010). This analysis allows the development of strategies, which are called scaffolding.
5. Attention to diversity is fundamental to guarantee the meaningful learning of the contents. Bloom's taxonomy (1956) is a very useful tool to facilitate the teacher's adaptation of the cognitive demand of the activities to the level of cognitive development of each student in particular. The tool allows to adapt an activity from a lower order cognitive skill (LOTS) to a higher order thinking skill (HOTS) depending on the needs of the student (Custodio Espinar, 2013)
6. The development of activities should follow these basic principles (Pérez Torres, 2015)
- The activities must connect with the curricular objectives. - They must start from an approach to the content and meaning.
- The activities must be open and flexible, easily adaptable to higher or lower levels of difficulty as needed by the students.
7. ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) can greatly contribute to the development of activities and tasks that promote the integration of Coyle's 4Cs (1999), encouraging students to progress at their own pace, facilitating the development of learning strategies. These tecnolgies are highly motivating if they adjust to the interests and skills of the students (Custodio Espinar and Fernández 2011, Custodio Espinar y Caballero, 2016)
2.4.2. The 4 Cs
Students cannot develop academic knowledge and skills without access to the language in which that knowledge is embedded, discussed, constructed or evaluated. Nor can they acquire academic language skills in a context devoid of academic content (Crandall, 1994, p. 256)
The 4Cs Framework is another component of CLIL and it has to be considered to form a conceptual map of understanding CLIL. It integrates four contextualized building blocks: content (subject matter), communication (language learning and using), cognition (learning and thinking process) and culture (developing intercultural understanding) (Coyle et al., 2010)
Figure 4: The 4Cs Framework. Source: (Coyle et al., 2010)
There is a symbiotic relationship between these elements that help develop CLIL in a better way. Coyle et al. (2010) suggest that effective CLIL takes place as a result of this symbiosis through:
1. Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding of the content. 2. Engagement in associated cognitive processing.
3. Interaction in the communicative context.
4. Development of appropriate language knowledge and skills.
This perspective wants to analyse the importance of these 4 components to acquire a second language and new content in a significant way. Therefore, CLIL involves learning to use language appropriately whilst using language to learn effectively. Coyle et al. (2010) built this theory on the following principles:
1. Content matter is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills, it is about the learner creating their own knowledge and understanding and developing skills. 2. Content is related to learning and thinking. To enable the learner to create their
own interpretation of content, it must be analysed for its linguistic demands. 3. Thinking processes need to be analysed for their linguistic demands.
4. Language needs to be learned which is related to the learning context, to learning through that language, to reconstructing the content, and to related cognitive processes. This language needs to be transparent and accessible.
According to (Coyle et al., 2010) the 4Cs framework consists of the following components:
1. Content: Progression in new knowledge, skills and understanding. It does not have to be part of a discrete curriculum discipline such as maths, it can be drawn from alternative approaches to a curriculum involving cross-curricular and integrated studies.
2. Communication: Interaction, progression in language using and learning. Learners are encouraged to produce subject language orally as well as in writing and to participate in meaningful interaction.
3. Cognition: High Order Thinking (HOT) activities and understanding, problem solving, and accepting challenges and reflecting on them. CLIL is about allowing individuals to construct their own understanding and be challenged –whatever their age or ability.
4. Culture: Awareness, identity, citizenship and progression towards multicultural understanding.
We can find other teaching and learning theories that support (Coyle et al., 2010) framework:
Subject matter is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills, it is about the learner constructing his/her own knowledge and developing skills (Lantolf, 2000; Vygotsky, 1978)
Acquiring subject knowledge, skills and understanding is related to learning and thinking (cognition). To enable the learner to construct an understanding of the subject matter, the linguistic demands of its content must be analysed and made accessible (Met, 1998)
Thinking processes (cognition) need to be analysed for their linguistic demands (Bloom, 1984; McGuiness, 1999)
2.4.3. Learner-centered autonomous learning
The main features of an autonomous classroom have been highlighted by Leni Dam (1995): authentic materials, group work, negotiation of learning tasks, self-evaluation of learning processes, and the teacher’s role as a classroom manager were among the most important issues focused upon.
Although learner autonomy has been developed predominantly within a foreign language learning and teaching framework, the concepts characterizing this approach are valid for any other subject matter and learning context (von Aufschnaiter, Fischer and Schwedes, 1992). Authenticity, learning as social mediation, reflection on the learning process, self-evaluation, and a number of other related concepts are, from a pedagogical point of view, subject-independent, neutral categories which should be implemented in all institutionalized learning if learner autonomy is one of the goals (Wolff, 2003).
In a traditional learning environment, the learning context is dominated by decisions made outside the classroom, by the administration or by the school. In classrooms oriented towards learner autonomy, the learning context is created collaboratively by
students and teacher. Together they set up a kind of learning laboratory in which they experiment and do research, thus, they deal with their content and language learning in a motivating way.
CLIL teachers have to consider letting go of the reins in class, and to face losing our central role. We need to pass some control over to our learners. Some of the guidelines that this CLIL guide aims to achieve this challenge are (Attard Montalto, Walter, Theodorou, and Chrysanthou, 2014):
1. Try connecting with students’ lives, and their needs and interests. 2. Practise encouraging (and enjoying) student-to-student communication. 3. Allow students to help decide on content and language assessment criteria. 4. Agree to adopt student-generated rules on acceptable classroom behaviour. 5. Decide to let students ask for new language when they need it, rather than teaching
in advance the words you think they will need.
6. Stop expecting all students to work in the same way: advise them to recognise and develop their own learning styles and strategies.
7. Put yourself in their shoes, and imagine learning in different and exciting ways. 8. Vary your approach.
9. Respond to immediate needs.
In learner autonomy, the dominant social form of learning is group work. In an autonomous classroom, which is regarded as a research laboratory, occasions for group work are much more numerous than in a traditional classroom. It is clear that content subjects, with their rich potential for research and experimentation, add a new dimension to group work.
Learning strategies have a very high potential with respect to the development of learner autonomy. Only learners who have learned to work with specific learning techniques and study skills will be able to become more independent in their learning. (Wolff, 2003)
2.4.4. Scaffolding
When teachers start planning, they have in mind what they are going to teach but they do not normally have into account how they are going to teach that content. CLIL is about building a potential synergism between what the students learn and how they learn it. CLIL demands an analysis of what is meant by effective pedagogies in different contexts.
There are some general learning theories on how individuals learn based on the work of theorist such as Bruner, Vygotsky and Wood. From many years the dominant model of knowledge transmission has been the traditional teacher giving a lecture and the learner memorising the content. It is called ‘banking model’ where the expert deposits information and skills into the memory bank of the learner and tends to be teacher-controlled, who is in charge of the class.
However, CLIL is a social-constructivist approach where the teacher guides the learning towards the information and their role is to activate student learning rather than promoting a passive reception of knowledge (Cummins, 2005). This approach focuses on interactive, mediated and student-led learning. In order to achieve this goal, the teacher needs to scaffold learning.
Bruner, like Vygotsky, emphasized the social nature of learning, citing that other people should help a child develop skills through the process of scaffolding. The term scaffolding first appeared in the literature when Wood, Bruner, and Ross described how tutors interacted with a child to help them solve a block reconstruction problem (Wood et al., 1976).
The concept of scaffolding is very similar to Vygotsky notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) and it is not uncommon for the terms to be used interchangeably. Scaffolding involves helpful, structured interaction between an adult, or other students more expert, and a child with the aim of helping the child achieve a specific goal. This involves the teacher in maintaining a balance between cognitive challenge for learners and appropriate and decreasing support as learners progress.
[Scaffolding] refers to the steps taken to reduce the degrees of freedom in carrying out some task so that the child can concentrate on the difficult skill she is in the process of acquiring (Bruner, 1978, p. 19).
According to (Dale and Tanner, 2012) there are three types of scaffolding:
1. Reception scaffolding: help students to understand and process information from input.
2. Transformation scaffolding: help learners select, change and organize information into a different form.
3. Production scaffolding: help learners produce or create something new with the information they have in order to show their understanding. (p. 31)
2.4.5. Teacher’s role and student’s role
The implementation of CLIL encourages whole school development and innovation. It also means a change in teachers and students’ role and benefits for both. With scaffolding and ZPD theories, teachers are a guide for learners and support their knowledge until they are prepared enough to learn by themselves.
CLIL teachers must reconsider how learners learn both language and content and, as a consequence, may often develop a completely new curriculum (Dale and Tanner, 2012) Non-native teachers improve their language skills through teaching their subjects in another language and using their language skills in practice. This new perspective leads teachers to broaden their understanding of both the subject and the teaching of the subject.
According to (Dale and Tanner, 2012) CLIL teachers have an important role in developing a wide range of children’s skills:
1. Help students be aware of the language required to learn a particular content. 2. Build up on students’ previous knowledge by developing activation strategies and
3. Help students be aware of the content and the learning process they are learning by sharing the learning goals and outcomes from the beginning of the teaching/learning process.
4. Ensure that students understand the content by developing reception, transformation and production scaffolding and providing multimodal input.
Besides, this approach gives the same importance to receptive (listening and reading) and productive skills (speaking and writing). Teachers need to encourage learners to interact in their classroom, to use activities which encourage them to think, speak and write (Dale and Tanner, 2012). Assessment gives information about how the learners are acquiring the new content and language but also if teachers are planning their classes correctly in order to provide the best information in the best way. To know how to assess learner’s progress is also a teacher role, in both content and language, and this role also involves providing feedback which will help develop both the content learning and the language proficiency.
The teacher competences required for successful CLIL teaching are extensive and clearly delineated by Bertaux, Coonan, Frigols and Mehisto (2009). Here it is offered a summary based on Mehisto, Marsh, and Frigols (2008).
1. Knowledge of methodology for integrating both language and content. 2. Ability to create rich and supportive target-language environments. 3. Ability to making input comprehensible.
4. Ability to use teacher-talk effectively.
5. Ability to promote student comprehensible output. 6. Ability to attend to diverse student needs.
7. Ability to continuously improve accuracy.
From the point of view of the students, their role throughout the teaching-learning process will be active with the help of the teacher by building their own knowledge, observing, discovering, thinking critically, and getting involved in the different proposed activities either individually, in pairs, in their cooperative groups or with the whole class.
This approach supposes a change on the role that the student plays in their learning. Crispin (2011) collects a series of skills that must be contemplated to obtain the best autonomous learning. First, learning autonomously requires establishing goals and activities that enable the fulfilment of the task, therefore, planning is essential. It should be encouraged to develop an awareness about the planning of the tasks that are done to learn. In addition, during the process of completing the tasks, the autonomous student must be able to understand what is done, how it is done and why it is done. Therefore, the author affirms, that learning monitoring requires a training of metacognitive skills, which makes it possible to make decisions about the best way to complete the task, as well as the steps and skills necessary for it.
But all this, not only requires teacher training, but students must also learn strategies to compensate for the difficulties involved in learning curricular content in a foreign language. According to Attard Montalto et al. (2014), one of the most important and most difficult challenges of CLIL teachers is to train students to be autonomous.
2.5. Activities and Resources
2.5.1. Activity-type
There is no specific sequence of activities considered to be CLIL. The eclectic nature of this approach makes it possible the combination of very different learning strategies and techniques (Dale and Tanner, 2012).
In general, a sequence of CLIL activities must begin with a diagnostic or activation activity, which connects the content with the interests of the students and activates previous knowledge about it. Then, depending on the methodology and the content, the activities can be reinforcement, application or extension. And, finally, it is essential that this sequence promotes higher order thinking and interaction. Therefore, it should include task of analysis, evaluation or creation, on the content that is being learned, preferably in group work. The integration of activities based on digital tools and resources promotes the development of all these principles (Custodio Espinar and Caballero, 2016)
These are the characteristics that Piaget (1975) attributes to the activities necessary for a constructivist learning of the type that CLIL involves:
a) Promote the learning by understanding and not by repetition. b) Develop cognitive schemas of the learner.
c) Be related to the general objectives of the stage.
d) Demand from the student the practical application of the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and learning strategies of the areas in which they are presented. e) Facilitate its realization autonomously and demand an active role of the student. f) To be able to be applied to reality.
g) Be motivating and adjusted to the interests and needs of students.
These are the different types of activities we can find in a CLIL syllabus:
- Activation activities: Warm-up activities, discussions on the new topic with learners. Questions and prompts using visuals. These activities are likely to help learners to be aware of what they are going to learn. Also, they help the teacher to know what leaners already know about the topic and what language they know about it. Some examples are: ‘write down nouns related to….’ Brainstorming using mind maps on the board, finish the sentence, guessing the lesson, Venn diagrams, KWL grid, word wall, etc.
- Guiding understanding activities: Expert groups, graphic organisers, jumbles, mind the gap, understating new words, etc. These activities should follow a cognitive progression according to a cognitive taxonomy, from LOTS to HOTS.
- Activities to focus on language: bingo, guess the word, noticing, ranking, taboo, vocabulary posters, word puzzle, etc. They will depend on the language demands analysis of the content and the language proficiency of the students.
- Activities to focus on speaking: Balloon debate, information gaps, role play, rubric jigsaw, speaking frames, vivid visuals, etc. These activities ensure the
interaction and, thus, the output that completes the learning process to check the understanding of the content.
- Activities to focus on writing: Brainstorming for writing, class magazine, instructions, recreate a text, storyboard, biographies, blogs, etc. These activities often apply to specific oral academic genres and writing products. (López, Custodio and Buckingham, 2018)
2.5.2. Human, Material and ICT resources
- Human resources: These include those people who, in one way or another, support the students’ learning:
1. The subject teacher, in this case science teacher, who is the same teacher that teaches content subject and foreign language simultaneously.
2. The Language assistants (LA), who are native speakers. They can support the CLIL teacher before, during and after the lessons and can develop many activities inside and outside the classroom. They can create a routine starting a lesson, work on phonics or lead oral activities. Outside the classroom the LA can we helpful teaching English to the teachers to improve their language proficiency. Although they are not trained teachers, they can help in the planning of lessons or specific parts of a lesson they will be involved in. 3. It also includes those who participate in the students’ educational process but
are not part of the teaching staff: families, secretaries, the kitchen staff, the cleaning staff, the teachers of extracurricular activities, the maintenance team or the playground caretakers.
- Material resources: A series of materials are needed in order to allow students to learn meaningfully. Apart from ordinary materials such as paper, pencils or notebooks, we will prepare as many scaffolding resources as necessary such as flash cards, word cards, handouts, etc. We will also need technological resources such as iPads, a digital whiteboard and internet access to make use of certain resources obtained from internet web pages. At the same time, literary resources such as stories, narratives or riddles are necessary as well as the textbook which
will occasionally be used as a support material. The majority of activities and sessions will be held in the classroom, however, some activities will need other spaces such as the playground or the school library where we can find other types of materials.
- ICT resources: The new technologies will take on great value in the CLIL classroom, as it is intended to show the students tablets as a tool in learning. The use of them will be at all times regulated by the teacher, who will seek to ensure that students enjoy this resource. Thus, they will be used to carry out research, to review content on different websites, to play with the different topics covered, watch videos, complete the information they have, and so on. However, in addition to conducting searches, it is also intended that students learn to use the information found or provided.
Dada la creciente importancia de las TIC en nuestra sociedad, es importante enseñar a los alumnos en el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación, para aprender a buscar información y saber cómo tratarla y filtrarla (LOMCE, 2013).
The students that we are going to accompany in the teaching-learning process are digital natives (Mark Prensky, 2001), which means that they will show a superior handling to the expected one without a previous training. In addition, their familiarity with technologies is very high, so we can use this resource as a tool to motivate them, bringing us closer to their daily lives and interests.
2.5.3. Space and time resources
The spaces that will be used for the development of the different didactic units are varied; they will be carried out in the classroom, as well as in the laboratory, the library, the computer room or the courtyard, among others.
It is important to create a space where kids can feel safe to be themselves, where they can participate without being judged and tell their opinion openly. Also, this space will bring
opportunities to use both language and content. To do this, the classroom with have spaces to show the final products of the different units.
The students will have two hours a week of the subject Nature Sciences which will be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays. According to the schedule, the annual syllabus will be divided into 9 didactic units with 72 sessions, starting on September 2019 to June 2020. See Appendix 2 for the distribution of the units in the three trimesters.
2.5.4. Classroom organization and management
Both novice and experienced teachers consider classroom management to be a high priority and an area of concern (Sokal, Smith, and Mowat, 2003). Effective teachers expertly manage and organize the classroom and expect their students to contribute in a positive and productive manner (Stronge, Tucker, and Hindman, 2004). It seems prudent to pay careful attention to classroom climate, given that it can have as much impact on student learning as student aptitude (Wang, Haertel, and Walberg, 1993). Teachers take time in the beginning of the year and especially on the first day of school to establish classroom management, classroom organization, and expectations for student behaviour (Emmer, Evertson, and Anderson, 1980; Emmer, Evertson, and Worsham, 2003).
On the one hand, and according to Doyle (1987) classroom management is the actions and strategies teachers use to solve the problem of order in classrooms. But it can be also used rules, procedures and routines to ensure that students are actively involved in learning (Marzano and Pickering, 2003) In essence, they use management not to control student behaviour, but to influence and direct it in a constructive manner to set the stage for instruction (McLeod, Fisher, and Hoover, 2003).
Rules establish the boundaries for behaviour, and consistency in their implementation is essential to effective classroom management (Nakamura, 2000). Rules tend to focus on expectations of how to act toward one another, on how to maintain a safe environment, respect others and participate in learning. However, routines are more flexible tan rules and are a specific way for doing actions. Classrooms typically require many routines to operate efficiently and effectively (McLeod et al., 2003). Teachers invest the time at the
start of the school year to teach the routines. By establishing and practicing routines that require little monitoring, teachers ensure that the focus of the classroom is more squarely on instruction (Covino and Iwanicki, 1996; McLeod et al., 2003; Shellard and Protheroe, 2000). Additionally, routines empower students to be more responsible for their own behaviour and learning in the classroom (Covino and Iwanicki, 1996).
Some of the rules that would be used during the sessions are: 1. Respect each other.
2. Care for classroom materials.
3. Raise the hand for permission to talk. 4. Not drinking or eating in class. 5. Have fun every day.
On the other hand, classroom organization focuses on the physical environment. Teachers who organize a safe classroom environment strategically place furniture and materials in order to optimize student learning and reduce distractions (Educational Review Office, 1998). Furniture arrangements, location of materials, displays, and fixed elements are all part of organization (Stronge et al., 2004). Effective teachers decorate the room with student work, they arrange the furniture to promote interaction as appropriate, and they have comfortable areas for working (Kohn, 1996).
Classroom management and organization are intertwined. While rules and routines influence student behaviour, classroom organization affects the physical elements of the classroom, making it a more productive environment for its users. How the classroom environment is organized influences the behaviour in it (Stronge et al., 2004).
2.6. Assessment and Evaluation Strategies
Assessment is the process of gathering data. More specifically, assessment is the way instructors gather data about their teaching and their students’ learning (Hanna and Dettmer, 2004).